Jewish voters hear Levin boost Obama

President Barack Obama's campaign is calling on top surrogates to boost his standing among Jewish voters in Florida.

Speaking to more than 150 mostly Jewish voters in Sarasota last week, U.S. Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., said Obama has been a strong supporter of Israel despite Republicans' criticism of his relationship with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., talks to reporters on Capitol Hill in March of 2007)(Associated Press archive)

"I know where they have stood on Israel and the U.S.-Israeli relationship," Levin said of Obama and Vice President Joe Biden. "Is he really a strong supporter of Israel? Look at his actions."

Levin, chairman of the Senate's Armed Services Committee, specifically pointed to Obama's efforts to block a United Nation's effort to condemn Israel for the 2010 killing of 10 people that were part of a flotilla that tried to get past Israel's blockade of Gaza. Levin also noted last month's riots in Egypt, when Obama demanded that Egyptians better protect the Israeli embassy in Cairo.

Levin said after his speech at the Kobernick Anchin, a retirement community sponsored by the Sarasota-Manatee Jewish Housing Council, Obama has to counter concerns that he has been weak on Israel.

"If a significant number of Jews believe that he is not a strong supporter of Israel, that would hurt him," Levin said.

Romney has aggressively pointed to Israel as one of Obama's biggest failings on foreign policy. Romney has repeatedly cited Obama's poor relationship with Netanyahu as helping to embolden Iran and other adversaries.

"I will reaffirm our historic ties to Israel and our abiding commitment to its security," Romney said in a foreign policy speech earlier this month in Kentucky. "The world must never see any daylight between our two nations."

Singing praises

U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Longboat Key, is hoping for a little help from one of the biggest-selling music acts of the late 1950s. Buchanan's campaign issued a press release with an endorsement from singer Pat Boone.

"I'm still singing at concerts, but I'm also singing the praises of Vern Buchanan," said Boone, now 78.

Boone is a spokesman for the 60 Plus Association, a group that sees itself as a conservative counterpart to AARP, which it views as too liberal.

Buchanan is running in the 16th Congressional District against Sarasota Democrat Keith Fitzgerald. The district includes all of Sarasota County and most of Manatee.

Rouson makes play for speaker post

Democrats are in the minority in the Florida House of Representatives, holding just 39 of 120 seats.

But that isn't stopping state Rep. Darryl Rouson, a Democrat who represents part of Sarasota and Bradenton, from formally announcing his bid to be speaker of the House in 2014.

Rouson put his name in for the position should Democrats win back the majority of seats by 2014. Even if they don't, Rouson, a St. Petersburg resident, would then be positioned to be the minority leader for the party from 2014 to 2016.

"I have a great love and desire for the potential of the minority minority party to become a relevant minority party," Rouson said in an interview.

Democrats would need to pick up 22 seats in the next two elections to assure a Democrat would be speaker of the House.

Rouson said he wants to be part of the effort to recruit more good Democratic candidates to build the party's strength in Tallahassee.

Neither Sarasota nor Manatee has had a speaker of the House since Manatee County Democrat Ralph Haben from 1980 to 1982.

For the next two years, the Democratic leader in the House will be Rep. Perry Thurston Jr., D-Plantation. Rouson said he is positioning himself to be in line after Thurston.

Rouson represents the newly redrawn District 70 in the Florida House, which stretches from Midtown in St. Petersburg to downtown Sarasota.

Analyzing the races

Looking for a preview of what to expect on Election Day in national, state and local races? I will be part of a panel discussion at New College of Florida on Tuesday with Politico's Charles Mahtesian and Real Clear Politics' Alexis Simendinger, breaking down the final two weeks of the campaign season.

Part of the New Topics Series, the event will be moderated by ABC 7 analyst Frank Alcock, a New College political science professor.

Saturday: Rita Ferrandino, chair, Sarasota County Democrats, speaks to the Venice Area Democratic Club at 10:30 a.m. at Naar Hall, United Church of Christ, 620 Shamrock Blvd., Venice. Free. For more information, call 492-5965 or go to www.venicedemocrats.org.

Jeremy Wallace

Jeremy Wallace has covered politics for more than 15 years.
He can be reached by email or call (941) 361-4966.
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Last modified: October 21, 2012
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